Every Night After

Chapters

Dusk to Dusk
Afterglow
Shallows and Shadows

Dusk to Dusk

The aching of Twilight's limbs was unbearable. She wanted relief, oh how she wanted it badly. But there would be none for her. The tall, ornate chair upon which she slumped had but one cushion on the seat, a thin crimson velvet thing that couldn't comfort her stinging plot any more then the marble floors. Her head was free to list whichever way her weight took it, swaying left and right, and sometimes even landing on one of the golden armrests and their thin, stone-like cushions.

Past the pattering of heavy nighttime rain on the multi-hued windows, and through the flickering torches that kept the elongated room alight with a soft orange glow, Twilight was in noticeable disarray. Her mane was frazzled, ruined. Her eyes were sunken, darkened. Her coat was matted and oily, reeking of two days filth. Exhaustion was slamming at her like a thousand stones. Soon, she could hardly keep her mouth closed, little strands of saliva glimmering as the slipped down her chin. The sound of dual waterfalls on either side of her was lulling her away with their gentle roar.

Suddenly a knocking reverberated the archaic room. It had come from the opposite side of where Twilight sat, behind two large golden doors. The unicorn shot up, her eyes wide as ever. Wiping the spit from her chin, she searched around frantically, until she finally found her objective.

A guard, white coat adorned with dull gold armor sat beside one of the many marble pillars that ran on either side of the room. "You," she said to him, "Go get the door."

He snapped aware, nodding to Twilight and then trotting off to the doors. He took hold of the large bronze hoop with his mouth and tugged it inward, opening the throne room for a shaded figure. Twilight knew who this was; no one got in to see her without an appointment. As the guard scattered back to his post, the figure stepped into the waving lights, setting her orange coat aglow. Her mane, blonde and well tied, followed swiftly behind her as she trod down the scarlet central carpet. Atop her head was that signature brown Stetson hat that never fell from her head.

Twilight watched her approach with light eyes; she'd been looking forward to this all day. "Applejack!" she said with a genuine smile, "It's so good to see you! How have things on the farm been?"

"Well, eh, not so good, ya see. But shoot, it's good to see you too Twi," the mare said as she approached. Not once did she attempt eye contact with Twilight. In fact, she seemed to be avoiding the unicorn altogether, her head turned away with her hat tipped down. She stopped in front of the throne to bow politely, before falling to her haunches.

"Why not? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, yeah, um, ya see, that new magic growth stuff of yers just...well it's doin' the job and all..." Applejack kicked the thin carpet beneath her, bowing her head. Her tone was hushed and thick with nervousness.

"If it's doing the job, then what's the problem?" Twilight asked. "I'm really busy, and should've been asleep a long time ago. I waited four hours for you Applejack, this better be good." Her voice held a warning ring. Her eyes squinted and the tiniest glint of a snarl flashed on her lips. Applejack, please watch what you say. I don't want this meeting to go sour...

"Uh, w-well, ya see it's making things wrong. Like, they ain't growin' normal. All my apples taste terrible! Ponies don't like it, so it's really runnin' the business down, and-"

"Is this your complaint? Is this seriously your complaint? I have much more important things to worry about than your stupid apples! Do you know how full my plate is? Of course you don't - you have no idea!" Twilight spat into the fountains, her face flush with anger. Making sure to maintain her darted glare and harsh hoof movements, she continued by saying, "I had our top unicorns work on that stuff, and that's what they came up with. You should be happy they even came up with anything at all! It's not easy, when you've dealt with a full year of night! And you know what, you ungrateful farmer? It's not getting any better!"

Applejack was taken aback. "U-Ungrateful? Twi, what happened to ya? C'mon sugarcube, we used to be friends. What happened? You were nice..."

"Oh, I don't know Applejack, I suppose I'm just bipolar. What do you think happened? Look out this window behind me." Twilight jerked around in her chair to face the large, arching stained glass windows that depicted the great Princess Celestia as she raised the sun across a vast expanse of green hills and mountains. It should've been glowing. Shiny. Exuberant. "Do you see how dark it is out there?"

"Twi, I know-"

"And do you see how the moon's still up there? How it's still visible through the clouds?" Twilight resettled in her seat, her tense gaze softened to a somber frown. Her eyes had gone back to their sunken state, and her body slumped like her smarty pants doll. Harsh...All right, Twilight, calm down. You're tired, is all. "It's midnight, but my advisors tell me it's noon. So I hope you can understand that I have bigger things to worry about than the taste of your food."

Just then, the metal doors swung open, and a tan stallion, bearing a mustache, a tuxedo, and a large silver platter on his back entered the room. The plate was covered with a shiny metal dome that gleamed in the torches, boasting of its ornate, inlaid inscriptions. Two guards - clad in the same attire as the one that was now slumped on the pillar - followed curtly behind. The stallion brought the platter forward, up the few stairs to the throne, and placed it at Twilight's hooves. After lifting the dome and setting it aside, he bowed, turned, and swiftly exited the room.

Once he and the two guards had shut the large doors behind them, Twilight glanced down at the tray. On it was a steaming faux omelet, garnished with spices and seasonings. Beside it was a crisp piece of buttered toast, and beside that was a class of crisp apple juice. She had requested the meal brought here, instead of the dining hall, because she just didn't have the energy for the walk. Oh dear.

"Twi, how is that fair? There are ponies down there starving, and yer eatin' like royalty! I'm gonna be starving soon, and Applebloom, and Granny Smith and even Big Mac. We ain't gonna hold out long without the farm." Across Applejacks strong face were streaks of torn worry, tears beginning to well in the corners of her eyes.

"As far as anypony's concerned, I am royalty! I could have you executed for this! I could execute you all for anything, that's how 'royal' I am!" Twilight used her magic to raise the toast, crunching into it with purposeful brutality. But, seeing the cringe, the fear in her friend's eyes, she lowered the bread down, sighing and letting her head drop. "Applejack, look. I'll try, alright? I'll try to make it better, but I can't promise anything. We have bigger problems, you know. If your farm fails, go to Rainbow Dash or Pinkie, or even Fluttershy. They'll help you, I'm sure."

"No, they won't. Ever since ya left, Pinkie's been switchin' moods faster than I can buck apples. R-D's just mad at'cha, and she ain't hardly coming down from Cloudsdale anymore. Twi, I understand yer busy, but please...this is serious."

"I...I'll deal with it Applejack. Now go. I'll need some time." She waved her hooves in a shooing motion, turning down to her meal and ripping into the toast yet again.

Applejack gave a curt bow, saying, almost forcibly, "Thank you, chancellor."

~~~

"And? It's not as if I care," Twilight said, reclining on her former mentor's expansive bed. The huge semicircle lodged itself onto the bright white wall, and was covered in a large white sheet that depicted a burning sun in its center. The rest of the room's theme stemmed from this: the white walls, golden curtains, large mirror and vanity, atop which sat a neatly folded star-spangled cape and dark blue hat. Other than that, it was practically plastered 'Princess'.

"You should," the blue unicorn grumbled as she slowly massaged Twilight's damp back. She pressed hard, cracking the knots and sores that were splotched up and down the mare's back. On her neck was a black leather leash, it's tether in Twilight's mouth.

"Shut up and massage. The guards can take care of it," she said letting loose a long sigh. She nuzzled her face deep into the silver pillows that the bed held, their feathery fluff an ample source of relaxation. Her mane was still a bit wet from her luscious bath, tiny water droplets trickling down her sides. A tiny smile graced her lips.

The collared unicorn growled. "The Great and Powerful Trixie finds this humiliating."

"Yeah, yeah Trixie, keep grumbling. You're not getting out of that collar." ...unless you're fine watching your head roll around Ponyville...

"Trixie does not care about that. She finds it humiliating that you won't even stand up for yourself," she said. Pressing hard between her owner's shoulders, cracks echoed around the room, followed by a deep moan of relief from Twilight.

"I can stand up for myself. These riots are just petty, though. Like I said, the guards have control of the situation."

"And what of Nightmare Moon? What will you do when she returns, hmm?" Trixie shook her head and sneered, careful to not let Twilight see.

"Trixie, the guards have been training for a year now. She's not gonna do a thing. And as long as we can keep the crops growing, we'll be fine." She turned back to give her 'pet' a harsh gaze, before gripping the largest pillow and holding it close to her cheeks.

"So you say, but Trixie does not think so."

"Well Trixie isn't here to think, is she?" Twilight snapped.

There was silence for a moment, Trixie's tongue ever so close to spewing her hate. But a quick glance down to her flank silenced her. Her cutie mark was sliced up, lines and lines missing due to pale reminders of countless lashings. "I'm sorry...my lady..."

"Of course you are. All of Equestria is," Twilight began. Trixie rolled her eyes, slumping her shoulders. She knew where this was going. "So sorry that their Princess is gone. So sorry that I'm not as good as she was. So sorry the taxes are higher, so sorry the crops are tasteless. I'm working my flank off - hay, I've gone days without sleep - and you know what, all ponies ever do is complain! I have control of this! And you know what else? Maybe, just maybe, if I got a bit more appreciation, I'd be willing to help more! But no, it's always 'I want this', or 'Go fix that'. I'm only one pony Trixie!"

"Trixie understands, of course," she said with a sigh, continuing her circular hoof movements.

There was a thick silence after that. Neither said a word, barely even letting their breaths become audible.

"Trixie, I'd like to get some sleep, alright?" Twilight eventually said.

"Yes, Trixie could use some too she supposes." The unicorn propped herself off of Twilight's back, rolling away and dropping to the floor. Her leash followed lifelessly behind her as she made her way to the opposite corner of the room, where a small cot of spare sheets and a lone pillow was laid out for her. She dropped on it, not bothering to ease herself down. Exhaustion was deep in her sunken eyes as well; Twilight had kept Trixie up with her, and by now, both were tired, snappy, and distant.

Twilight lifted Trixie's leash with her magic, snapping it into a metal clasp on the wall by her cot, fixing it into place with a tiny clink. Then, she killed the few candles that lit the room, and rested herself back on the bed, sinking into its plump body as the darkness unfolded.

As soon as her burning eyelids shut, she was out like a light.

~~~

It worked! She could taste joy of success! Nightmare moon had not only been defeated by the Elements of Harmony, she was gone altogether! No trace of her, no sign anywhere. She was gone completely!

Twilight turned around to face her friends. Their faces held such jubilance in those five smiles that she almost cried. All the fear was gone now, giving way to an air of love and harmony at last. But as they began commenting each other's jewelry, and Rarity's newfound tail, Twilight noticed something that churned her gut.

The moon was still high in the night sky, and not even a hint of golden day was touching the sky. Outside the many shattered, crumbling windows of the decaying fortress, not even a speck of sunlight tipped over the horizon.

Upon turning back to tell her friends, she found there to be no need - they had realized this on their own. Where was Celestia? What happened when the Elements hit Nightmare Moon? There was a scream, a bright light, then nothing. She was just flat out gone.

But then, in a brilliantly blinding flash of black, the evil alicorn hovered above them again. Her face bore a hideous smile, displaying her two devilish fangs in a manner more than disturbing. A deep light was awash on her horn, and one by one, the elemental necklaces were ripped from their owners. First Pinkie, then Fluttershy, and so on. It seemed painful - they snapped away with loud pops that were not metallic - they were organic. These were sickening, gut twisting cracks that reverberated throughout the room.

Soon the element of magic was torn asunder, lashing from Twilight's brow and shooting into the air. All six pieces of harmony spun around Nightmare Moon as she let out a hearty laugh. The twirled around in a mocking dance, all in the grasp of her blackish magic.

"Hello Chancellor," the alicorn spoke with a grin.

This wasn't right. This couldn't have been right. She wasn't chancellor at the time. Logic said this wasn't right. But for some reason the dream played like a film, as though it had happened, was happening.

"W-What?"

"Why Chancellor, I'm simply saying hello," Nightmare Moon said - hissed, in fact, with an awful laugh rang as a chorus of bittersweet chimes. "I know, it's a bit early for introductions. But if we're to be meeting soon anyways, I suppose I should say hello. Is that so bad?"

"What are you talking about? Return the Elements!" Twilight demanded, stomping her hoof down. Looking to her friends for support, she found them to be lying limp on the ground.

"You ponies are more difficult in your dreams than in your waking hours," the hovering mare spoke.

A sudden chill overtook Twilight. "Dreams?" she asked, her fur standing on end.

"Any other day, and your idiotic questions would set me off. Just a warning," Nightmare Moon said with a wink, her grin still etched onto her face.

"What do you want?"

"Me? Once again, your questions, they...annoy me. I'll tell you this, 'chancellor', enjoy the days you have left."

"My days? You...you don't control my life!" she spat. Snarling up at the alicorn, she continued, "I have control of my life! I have control of Equestria! We'll see what happens when you try and take it."

"Oh, dear Chancellor Twilight, so high and mighty. We shall see just who is in control of your life soon enough."

At that, a hazy, diluted black beam shot forth from the tip of the black alicorn's horn, shooting down and zapping Twilight with a large gash down her cheek. The unicorn shrieked as an invisible fire crept up her legs, mane, and tail. Tears welled in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks; the pain was unbearable.

"Your days are numbered Twilight Sparkle, this you shall not forget."

The pain materialized, morphing into a sort of fluid darkness that overtook her legs. It burned as it attached, sinking deep into her skin. It ran up her legs, ending at the beginning of her shoulders in a sort of tattered array that mocked sliced tapestry. All the while, Twilight screamed. She cried, shrieked, wailed, all in the awful agony of corruption.

Her legs betrayed her as she collapsed to the ground. The corruption had stopped now, having sunken in and turned most of her forelegs and all of her hind legs a thick black, the only kind of darkness one could see when glancing into space on a clear night. Her cutie mark was barely unscathed, the darkness blotched around it as it faded off.

She did something strange now, something she didn't even see coming. She laughed. Small, hardly able to be classified a giggle, but she still laughed. Looking back up, she saw that Nightmare Moon - as well as the six elements of harmony - had vanished.

All she could do was laugh.

~~~

"Chancellor!" A voice, rough and gruff, drew her from the darkness of sleep. Her eyes shot open, letting the harsh light of a close candle invade them. She snarled and recoiled, burying her head in the mountain of satin pillows she had amassed during the night.

"Chancellor, are you alright? Where is Trixie?" That got her attention. She shot up, tossing the pillows in any direction. A dark grey pony bearing white armor gave her was giving her a concerned look though deep blue eyes. The unicorn's groggy eyes slowly shifted right, landing upon the bare and empty mass of bedding. Her eyes snapped wide, a scowl burning on her lips.

"You tell me! I left her right there." Twilight pointed at the empty cot, where the leash, still clasped to the wall, hung onto an empty collar. That wasn't the only thing to grasp her attention, though. A searing pain lashed through her jaw, riveting her mind. She groaned and clasped her cheek. There was a line, swollen and red, with small warm droplets trickling down.

"Where were the guards?" she snapped, lowering her hooves from her injury.

"We, uh-"

"What is wrong with you ponies? Go! Find Trixie! When you have her, bring her here. And bring me Captain Armor, now!"

"But chancellor, it's late, and-"

"I'll drop your plot in Tartarus if you don't get going," Twilight said with a sneer. She made a movement, drawing her hoof across her neck in a slicing motion. The guard gulped, spinning on his hooves and darting out the door.

Twilight sighed, her face relaxing. Across the room, she rested her gaze on the empty mass of bundled sheets. The black leather collar was still empty, no matter how many curses her mind could create. Yet it was strange; the vanity next to her tiny cot still held her few belongings. The unicorn remembered very clearly how they were all she had left after the ursa incident that left half of Ponyville in ruins. She had to order a detachment of pegasus guards to go and put the thing down. And they'd almost killed her too, violent nuts.

So why would Trixie leave them?

"I'll just have to ask," she muttered, kicking the rest of her sheets away. The gash on her face retaliated in the small gust of wind, a burning sensation sinking into her. She grimaced and grunted, but did no more. There was no more she could do.

So, she stood from the bed, turning away and heading for the door. There would be no more sleep for her. None at all.

~~~

In Celestia's office was where she found herself now. Hungry with no appetite, and tired with no will to sleep, she simply skimmed through the next document from the stacks upon stacks of complaints and queries. Things were getting ugly as of late; on the huge marble desk, lit by one measly candle, a huge stack of organized folders sat, waiting for her to read them. And this was after the bureaucratic work division was set up. These were apparently the most important, sent up from the division itself, which managed to lodge itself in the castle bowels.

The current folder in front of Twilight read in block print Grand Galloping Gala. Before opening it, she let slip a long sigh, her eyes and mind drooping alike. Instead of beginning, she took a moment to observe her dark surroundings. To either side were two massive bookshelves that ate the entirety of the walls. Most were thick and contained tax reports or referencing codes. It would be a lie to say she didn't use these often.

Behind her was a large circular window that fed out to the vast hills beneath Canterlot. They were dark, drenched with the pegasus's storm. The clouds had grow so thick as to block out the pale moonlight, creating a barren, black wasteland, despite the distant lights of Ponyville. The sights of the forlorn lamps and distant houses made her sick. Sick with grief, anger, sadness, loss, and possibly most of all, happiness.

Turning back around on her - formerly Celestia's - large scarlet cushion, she faced the folder head on. How was the Gala even close to important right now? The ponies down at the bureaucratic division needed to prioritize, and soon. Even still, she flicked open the front page with her blackened hoof, the reminder of her nightmare churning her gut.

The folder read as any other normal complaint. The Grand Galloping Gala was normally in a week or so, but nothing was scheduled, so now ponies were complaining. "Of all the things..."

"Sister," a voice called for her. The once closed oaken door was thrust open, and a tall white stallion with a flowing blue mane barged in. Twilight gripped her chest, gasping for air as her face turned a deep red.

"You...You should knock," she said as she sucked in deeply.

"My apologies. But I was told that you were injured, and-"

"I'm fine Shining." Twilight kicked the pillow with her hind hoof, a soft thud as the result. She pushed away the pointless folder, heaving it off the desk and into a pile of scattered papers, reports, and other complaints that had met the same fate.

"Then what did you need? Cadence is on her way, and there's a lot to be done before the wedding," he said, taking a seat before the desk. He bore no armor now - an unusual look for the captain of her guard.

"Trixie's gone missing. I want you to have some of your guards find her, and drag her back into my room. That's the first thing. The second, is, um, this." She tapped her cheek with a hoof.

"What happened?" the stallion asked, up on his hooves immediately. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was snarled. "Were you attacked? Did she finally rear her ugly head? My ponies stand ready!"

"Oh would you calm down," Twilight sighed. "The answer to your question is a yes and no. I was asleep, and had that dream again."

"The one with the elements?"

"Yeah," she said, pulling a new folder from the stack with her magic. "And of course, she was there. But this time, she spoke. She said my days were numbered. Then...this."

"I'd say it was simply a dream..."

"Then how would you explain this?"

"I'm...I'm not sure. Does it hurt?" Shining inspected his sister closely.

"No, not really," she sighed, "At least, not anymore."

There was a pause.

"So she's got a plan on your life, huh? Well she can think again. No one lays a single hoof on my sister," Shining said, once again puffing his chest out and standing tall.

"I've got to hoof it to you, you're loyal. Now...go. Please. Set the guards up in any way you want, and find Trixie. But for now, go. I've got things to do."

Shining Armor dropped his heroic stance, nodding to his sister and walking off with a sigh. "Do you need anything else?" he asked as he stepped through the doorway.

Twilight shook her head, not looking up from the new folder once to say a thing. The guard sighed, continuing his exit and closing the door behind him with a blue aura.

With him gone, the unicorn opened this new folder. Its front label read Ponyville Riot. This was actually something important. A wave of guilty relief washed over her; finally, she could actually do something instead of just saying no. Her eyes traced the first lines of the paper, and a sudden disappointment washed over her face. This was no riot. This was suspicion, mere paranoia. Somepony had an idea stuck in his head that Ponyville was going to riot, and decided to send it on up. Grumbling, she kicked the folder away, snatching the next one and cracking it open.

Right before the thin flap of parchment hit the desk, Twilight's eyes wandered, leading them to a little unsealed scroll that sat at the corner. It was old - a year old, actually - though it was just as important as ever. She squinted to see the thing better in the layered darkness. It was worn, beaten and dusty. A popped wax seal remained on its front, bearing the seal of the sun goddess herself.

Twilight enveloped it in her lavender aura and levitated it close to her face. She cracked it open with a crinkling sound, exposing the blotched ink font. It resembled chicken-scratch, though perhaps a bit more sloppy. Definitely something a Princess would not write, unless she had been in a hurry.

It read:
In the event of my permanent absence, I, Princess Celestia, hereby appoint my most trusted and faithful student Twilight Sparkle to the position of High Chancellor.

Her signature was scrawled at the bottom, completely unreadable and unrecognizable. Even still, this document was unfortunately legitimized, and now, as Twilight Sparkle sat alone in the cold office, she had become one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria.

And the worst part of it was: Celestia had seen it coming.

~~~

Shining Armor trotted down the central halls of Canterlot. Only the dim torchlight to guide him down his carpet laden path, he maneuvered through the various bends and turns, the sound of pattering rain following him incessantly. He was now in a long hallway that spanned one side of the New Canterlot Wall, as it was called. The wall, being constructed soon after the Nightmare Moon incident, stretched around the actual castle, a large barrier of pure stone and metal that could hold an army at bay. The arched corridor had small fogged windows on its left, and Shining found himself staring out these as he walked. Being on the top level of the wall, he could clearly see down into Canterlot City, who's dim streetlights and lonely houselights were kept in check by the torrents of rain and wind.

He strode out the hall, through a series of vaulted archways, down a set of spiral tower stairs, and out into another hall that was diagonal to the first. This hall was different, though, for at its end was a rectangular cast iron door with a large bronze plate on its center, reading Guard Grounds. At the door he stopped, waited, listened. The soft sound of raindrops slamming against the courtyard muck seeped through the few cracks Shining threw it aside with his magic, stepping into out from the hall, and shutting it again.

His hooves sloshed in the mud as he made his way through the soaked yards. Platoons upon platoons of guards maneuvered left and right throughout the mud, sergeants at their fore snapping orders left and right. Shining Armor swerved around them, nodding to the armored stallions. They nodded back, continuing on their marches. Drills like this were increasingly common as of late.

Galloping now, he ran through the rain to a large, onyx spire that sat in the middle of the grounds. Huge golden columns spanned it's sides, a huge iron door severing a particularly large pair. Shining tossed this door aside, revealing a dry, open room with a lone oak table at its center and four dim torches on the black walls.

Around the table sat four loosely constructed chairs with no padding whatsoever. Only two were occupied, one with a large black mare who donned a golden cap, and another by a white stallion adorned in the standard golden regimen. They were bickering, slinging their cases at each other over an unfurled map of Equestria.

The white guard stallion flung his arms about, shouting, "More! I don't care what you think! We need more troops in Manehattan!"

"We can't send more troops, how many times do I have to cram that into your thick skull? Commander, Canterlot is more important that Manehattan, and you know that," the mare said, snarling and shaking her head.

"Take some from Trottingham! It's not like that happy little backwash town needs them!"

"Yes," the mare said, slamming her hoof down and squinting, "Things are fine in Trottingham. And, while I'm not so sure about you, I'd like them to stay that way. Manehattan had one little revolt. It was a group of five ponies - let me repeat that, five ponies."

Now the guard slammed his own hoof down. "The latest revolt was, yes. But this has been the sixth one in two weeks! Let me repeat, general! Two. Weeks!"

"Ladies," Shining said, smirking and winking to the stallion. The guard's cheeks puffed and his face scrunched.

"Hello, sir," he said, slowly dragging his hoof off the map. The general beside him only nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Anything new?" Shining asked, taking a seat of his own across from them both.

"Nothing yet-"

"There's been problems in Manehattan," the stallion said, glaring at the general.

"So I hear," Shining said with a sigh. "But for now, as the general said, Canterlot is more important. In fact, we've got a problem on our hooves."

The general snapped up, shooting her blue eyes to Shining Armor. "What problem? Everything's fine on our end sir. There's no sign of Nightmare Moon anywhere, and the troops stand ready."

"Nothing like that. Trixie's gone missing again," he said. "No big worries, but we do need to find her. You know how Twi gets."

The general and the guard both let out long sighs, relaxing from their tight postures. "I can send a search team for her. She couldn't have gotten far," the mare said.

"Do that. You." Shining shot his hoof at the guard. "How are the supply lines running into Manehattan?"

"Stable, sir," he said.

Shining nodded, drawing in a deep breath. "And the situation?"

"Small riots. We could use some reinforcements, but I suppose it's under control for now..."

"Good. Keep it that way. General, have you seen any sort of activity beyond the walls? It's been a solid year now...I'd be lying to say I wasn't worried."

"Nothing sir. Patrols are saying the only thing moving out there are bunnies and stuff of the sort. But...well, sir, patrols are almost always drunk," she said. Her head slipped down with a sigh.

"Well, as long as there's no sign of her, we'll be fine. Get some ponies on the Trixie problem. I ought to be going."

Behind him, a rain soaked mare, stumbling around and reeking of cheap wine sauntered in. "Sir!" she said in a slur.

"What private? Were you...drinking?" He growled, rubbing his temples with his hooves.

"No, er, yeah, uh...whatever, look, we saw something!" she said. Leaning on the wall, she hiccupped like a filly. On her face, though, was a look of dead seriousness.

All three of the ponies stood from their chairs, glaring at her. Shining Armor stepped forward with darted eyes. "What did you see? Are you sure it wasn't the alcohol?"

"Uh, pretty sure," she said with a vigorous nod. "Besides, I wouldn't come huntin' you down while I was drunk if I didn't have to."

"What did you see?" he repeated, stomping his hoof down on the concrete floor.

The mare's eyes shot wide as she recoiled. "It was, uh, dark. And it was flying too! Really, really fast! It was heading to the main castle, and-"

"Enough! General, I want all guards on full alert. Send at least thirty up to the chancellor's chambers, and I mean now. Private, get your drunk flank outta here." The private nodded and scampered out into the storm.

Shining Armor shook his head and bit his lip. Making his way to the door, he said, "If you see anything even resembling an alicorn, take it down. That's an order."

~~~

Twilight flipped the flimsy, ghost white page. Still in her office, she was slumped down in the cushion, scanning the block font in front of her with a faint smile. Across the top of the large paper were the words The Good Times, commissioned by Chancellor Sparkle. Six months, she remembered. That was how long this thing had been in circulation.

The headline on the new page was Couple gets married in Fillydelphia. Below it was a black and white photo of a bulky stallion with his scrawny wife. Twilight's lips creased up, a slightly bigger smile spreading across her face. There wasn't one hint of bad news in this paper.

On the next page was a title of Orphanage finally built, houses 50 homeless fillies. The unicorn bit her lip as her smile spread ever farther. Beneath this one, lit by the faint candle beside her, was a picture of a large brick structure. All of its little inhabitants were standing in front of its lofted doorway with tiny little smiles. A few even had tears in their eyes.

Thunder boomed behind her, nearly startling her. She slowly raised her hoof to her chest, rubbing the area in a circle and taking slightly deeper breaths. Her eyes did not lift from the pages once, however. They were busy scanning line after line of black text, soaking in the story of the close-call orphanage and its fillies.

After a few minutes of lonely taps of the rain on the glass behind her, a sudden boom bellowed throughout the office as its doors were flung ajar. Her head snapped up with eyes as huge as saucers. In front of her was a tall, slender figure with a light blue mane that seemed almost astral in nature. This figure had two bulging wings on either side and a long horn atop her head. She donned cyan armor that covered her dark black body in sections. Upon her chest piece was the most noticeable thing - a small crescent moon that glowed vibrantly, even in the dim light.

"Finally ran out of patience, huh?" Twilight asked, tossing her newspaper aside. She scowled at the figure, standing from her cushion and propping herself up on the desk. Now she was even with the alicorn, her eyes locked with the azure draconic jewels across from her. "Coming alone. Not very smart."

"Alone?" Nightmare Moon's sweet voice asked mockingly. "Please, by all means underestimate me. Have a look behind you."

Twilight carefully turned her head. She quickly turned around, glancing out of her window. For a second, she had begun to turn back around. But she froze, a statue of ice as the air lost all heat.

Out of her window, beyond the New Canterlot Wall, a huge wave of dark, shifting ponies marched onwards. They moved so fluidly, so effortlessly, like sand on a windy day. The worst of it all, though; they were armored with silver helms and body pieces, and had long silver swords. They surged upon the city walls, coming on strong and hard. She could see her own guards shooting about the castle grounds and walls as a sort of organized hysteria broke loose.

"I come prepared," Nightmare said with a wry chuckle.

"You're no match for the guards," Twilight cursed. "They'll crush that little crew of yours easily."

"And what if I say I know that? What if all I need to do is knock out the top?"

The sound of shifting hooves and clanking armor became faintly audible in the halls. "I come prepared too, you know," the unicorn said, giving her own grin in return. And the victor is...

"Don't fool yourself, you insolent foal. How could I come here and not expect you to be prepared?" Nightmare Moon spat to the corner of the room, hissing at Twilight.

"A trick up your sleeve?" Twilight jibed, the sounds drawing closer. If she could only keep the mare occupied for a bit longer...

"I don't need tricks to wipe out worms like yourself," she said smugly.

"Halt!" a familiar voice rang through the halls. A sudden swarm of armor clad guards surrounded Nightmare Moon, all with shimmering blades firmly in the grasps of their jaws.

Twilight observed as the alicorn turned from her. Her black horn was beginning to glow with a deep blue light, and Twilight could feel the intensity of the magic in the air. "Now or never..."

She heaved herself up onto the marble desk, shooting papers each and every way. Faltering only slightly and doing her best to hold back an aching drawling groan, she leapt forward, charging in at the nightmare. Her own horn began to glow a vibrant pink, a bright light beaconing its tip.

Just as she made contact, the spell fired, engulfing the room in a bright light.

~~~

It happened faster than she could have imagined it. She found herself slammed against her desk, a horrible cracking echoing out from her back as she fell to the floor. Her vision faded out as her muscles went numb, letting noises become her guide to the outside world. There was the shrill scream of Nightmare Moon, followed by a hiss and curse of the same voice. Then came the harsh clashing of armor. More screams - deep and gruff, obviously that of a stallion - came. She could feel warmth splatter against her face, making her gut churn and her body tense.

There was more clashing. Loud thuds came from everywhere and nowhere; these could only come from something large, dropping abruptly. Something like an armor-clad stallion.

From outside, cannon shots, barking orders, and the clash of metal overtook the natural sounds of the storm. A splitting sound bellowed out, followed by the mad ravings of multiple ponies. The sound was terrible, as though something large had caved into itself. She prayed to Celestia - wherever she may be - that it wasn't the wall.

Back on the inside, though, a loud thud - probably the loudest of all - sent a shockwave through the floorboards. Now, the sound of metal clashing and screams of dying stallions ceased, abrupt but certainly welcome. They were replaced by long moans, nasty gargles, and soft cries.

She did her best to open her eyes. And for a moment, it seemed that she would. But alas, they did not budge a bit.

"Four sir," a voice said from the darkness. Twilight tried yet again to pry her eyelids open, but came to no avail.

But the comforting voice of her brother soon rang through her head. "That's it? Out of thirty...four left..." There was a soft cough, followed by a hard thump. "Three..."

"She's still alive," a new voice said. Another pound came, sounding like something had been kicked.

"Let's hope she is. Take her to the medical room, tie her down and but a blade to her horn," her brother's voice commanded. "If she get's antsy, well, you know what to do." There was a sudden jolt of hooves, followed by the sound of something heavy being dragged along the floor.

A sudden hoof grazed her side. She felt it, but was unable to respond, no matter how hard she strained her muscles. He seemed to understand though. Grazing his hoof up and down her side, he whispered, "You'll be all right Twi. Just hang on. You'll be all right."

Afterglow

Twilight slowly cracked her eyes open, a bright, burning light flooding them in a wave of screaming pain. She recoiled, sinking down onto the soft platform she laid on. Her ears blared a high pitch wail, drowning out anything happening beyond them. Without sight and sound, she lay in her own uncertainty.

Her body ached; any movement she made sent waves of strain rippling up her spine. The slightest shift made her groan - at least, she assumed she was groaning - and but the smallest touch churned her belly. Doing her best to lay still she let the cushion beneath her cradle her limbs as she prayed that she was fine.

The fight between Nightmare Moon and her guard couldn’t have lasted long - only a few mere minutes. And even after it, the calm, strong voice of her brother had been there, promising that she would be fine. Yet it wasn’t the actual fight that made her mentally cringe - it was the afterthought. Her dry lips pursed as images of a crumbled Canterlot flashed through her mind.

Then, an image worse than it claimed its place. An image of Nightmare Moon, escaping Twilight’s guards due to poor management. Nightmare Moon was perched atop the regal tower, staring down as her corrupted militia cleaned up the mess she had made of the guards...

“Twilight...Twilight!” Shining Armor’s voice pierced the unicorn’s skull like wasps. Sooting, comforting wasps, who’s every sting conjured an invisible smile.

She stirred, a sneer slowly forming on her face. Her cracked lips split as they shifted, her burning eyes screaming. “I...” she said. Her words were stolen by a harsh hacking that riveted her lungs.

“You,” her brother’s voice said into the darkness, “get her some water. As for you, doc, care to take a look?”

“Indeed,” came a new, refined voice. This was the voice of a pony used to fine dining, ballroom dancing, and getting his hands dirty all at the same time. “Chancellor, can you hear me?”

Twilight begrudgingly nodded.

“Good. I’m going to hold a candle in front of your eyes. On the count of three, you’ll open them and stare at the wicker. Understand?”

Once again, she slowly nodded.

“Good,” the doctor said. A light now burned just outside Twilight’s sealed eyelids, warming the already burning orbs. “One...Two...Three.”

She forced her eyelids ajar with all her might. The bright lights flooded them once again, setting them aflame like the long forgotten sun. Soft cries slipped her parched tongue as she forcibly stared into the tiny light.

Eventually, though, and thankfully enough, her eyes adjusted. As the blurs faded she let her muscles relax again. Her hastened breaths soon fell back to normal as well, and her heart resumed its steady thump.

Just above her, Shining Armor and a grey stallion with a white handlebar mustache were watching her. The sight of her brothers face brought a little smile to her lips. “Good yet again,” the doctor said. “Now let’s move onto your legs, shall we?”

“My legs?” she asked in a raspy voice. “Is there something wrong with them?” She looked down at herself. Everything seemed fine: her limbs were still attached, her tail and mane were still firmly planted on her body, and her cutie mark was still there. Only one or two bruises stood out from her lavender fur, but they were nothing serious at all.

“We’re about to find out, now aren’t we?” The grey stallion bent down and closely inspected Twilight, from head to tail. “Try moving your forelegs for me.”

The unicorn did so, slowly raising her two front hooves into the air. The strain was apparent on her face; the scowl and scrunching dominated her features. She held them there as long as she could, before finally giving up, and dropping them back down with a long breath out.

The doctor nodded and moved onto her hind legs, closely inspecting them as well. With a nod to Twilight, she took in a long breath, and prepared for the new strain at hoof. Slowly, she brought up her two hind hooves, stretching them higher and higher until they felt like they would rip.

“Twilight, he meant both of your hooves,” Shining said with an encouraging nuzzle.

She peeked one eye open, setting her gaze down to her haunches. To her horror, only her right leg had made it to the air. Her left was still hugged close to her body, limp and lifeless. She tried to force it up. Her face squeezed up, and her eyes latched shut. Heat swelled in her cheeks as the tension rose. But there was nothing. No movement. No feeling.

“I was afraid of that. Please, relax Ms. Sparkle,” the doctor said. She had no problems following that directive; her one good leg fell from the air, back to the stark white infirmary bed on which she lay. Things were silent now, with only the crackle of the few torches lining the room to provide ambience. The room seemed darker now; the wooden door, several hanging metal tables and even the cobblestone walls themselves seemed to be enshrouded in a sort of shadow. She began to wonder if she had gone mad, too - this was definitely not the blinding room she had awoken to.

Just then, the door swung open, revealing a white pony with a light pink mane. In her mouth was a small glass of sparkling water. The sight of it made Twilight’s throat ache. Without need for words, she brought the liquid up to the mare’s dry lips, tilting the glass up and letting Twilight chug it all down.

While she was finishing, the doctor closed the door and continued, “From what your brother tells me, you made a ‘cracking’ sound when you slammed into your desk. To be honest I’m surprised it’s not both of your hooves.”

Shining turned to him with a worried gaze. “Is it permanent?”

“Only time will tell,” he said with a shrug.

“The city,” Twilight said, coughing as the glass was lifted away. “How is the city?”

All eyes shifted to her. Her brother was the first to talk, still hovering directly above her. “There’s a pretty big hole in the southern wall, but we’ve got our best ponies on that. Looks like Nightmare Moon’s little army wasn’t as prepared as she thought. They fled right when we dragged her body out of the study.”

“And her. How is she? Where is she? Is she even still alive?”

“Well she’s alive, sure. She’s down in the dungeon infirmary, strapped to a table. She’s being hit with a good dose of magical sedatives, so no worries there. Got a good blow on her though. Me, I mean. Right to the lung-”

“I don’t need details,” Twilight said, barely waving her hoof. “What about Trixie? Did she have something to do with this?”

Shining shook his head. “No. We haven’t even found her yet.”

She grunted. “Keep looking. Oh, and new idea: when you find her, I want her lashed thirty times. Make sure it’s a good one - probably one of the ones from the inquisition storage rooms.”

“Are you sure? I mean, shouldn’t you at least talk to her first? That seems a bit unfair...I know you’re the chancellor, and I’m not judging...”

“No, no, perhaps you’re right,” the unicorn relented with a sigh. “Fifteen lashes. And I still want it to be an inquisition whip. When you’re done, send her back up to my room.” She then forced her hooves to grip the sides of her mattress, yanking her forward.

Everypony in the room immediately protested. The doctor actually tried pushing her back to the bed with a light nudge. “Ms. Sparkle, I’m afraid going anywhere right now is out of the question. You need bedrest, and that’s what you’ll get.”

“You’ll get something soon if you touch me again,” she said with a sneer. The doctor backed away, his face torn between a scowl and a grimace. Smirking lightly, she shoved herself off the bed and began her descent to the floor. Just as planned, she was entrapped in a light pink aura that levitated her but inches from the cold, unforgiving cement.

“Ah, thank you Shining. Now if you’d be so kind as to take me up to my room. I think I agree with the doctor; I could use a nap.” She gave a long yawn and a nod of approval.

All the stallion did was sigh and levitate her to the door. The doctor tossed it open for them, a slight smile hidden behind a faint grimace. Just as Shining Armor was about to pass through the door, he leaned in a whispered, “I’m sorry about this. She’s just stressed.”

“Yes, well, just make sure she stays off her hooves for a while. And do try to keep her calm, won’t you?”

“Like I said, she’s just stressed,” he snapped back. But he eased up quickly, letting his tight figure slouch. “Thanks for the help.”

He grunted and gave a small nod before curtly slamming the door behind Shining. The unicorn in his pink grip was staring impatiently at him with a snarl and darted eyes.

“If you’re done having your heart to heart, can we please be going?”

~~~

Shining shut the large golden doors behind him, severing him from the royal chambers. A sigh of relief slipped his lips as he sat on the crimson carpets beneath him. Twilight was firmly tucked away beneath the silk sheets of the royal bed, and by now was probably fast asleep. He pressed his ear up to the door, listening for any movement or sounds. There were none. Yep, he thought with a grin, fast asleep.

Standing once more, he shook his blue mane back into place. He trotted left, down the hall, and then down a long flight of torch lit spiraling stairs. His pace was brisk, like a pony with somewhere important to be. Which actually isn’t far off, he noted. Down the stairs and out into another long hallway, then left into a sealed corridor, and he was nearing his destination already.

He shoved the creaky wooden door open, exposing one last long, spiraling staircase. The state of these stairs was no mirror to the last; they were dusty, with tattered carpets lining their cracking concrete. These had fallen to a state of disrepair, and it was even a miracle that the torches here stayed in their rusting iron holsters.

Down he went, his gaze always fixed at his forward. At the base of these stairs was a little iron portcullis that rusted worse than the torch holders. A grey guard standing stiff behind the gate eyed Shining carefully, before quickly saluting at the realization that this was his captain. Shining nodded to the stallion, who proceeded to unlock the gate with a little iron key that was shrouded in his hazel magic.

The gate swung inward, opening up a long cobblestone hallway. The place - lined with cobwebs and a tattered black carpet - was cold, eerie in a way. Shining made his way in, the gate slamming shut behind him and latching with a little click. He trotted down the dim hall, passing several intersections, each one with its own signature moan, groan, or cry.

Memories filled his mind of a time when the dungeons were empty and well tended. Celestia’s reign had done well in keeping crime low, especially in Canterlot. The dungeons had become more of a storage area than anything else. But now...now they were cold, desolate, yet filled with painful cries and swarmed with armed guards. The sounds of clanking metal and revolting pain echoed through the halls, filling the stallion’s ears.

He sighed, turning right at a T-junction in the halls. A guard stood beneath one of the few torches, nodding to him as he passed. A metal sign hung just above this new hall’s archway, reading Infirmary. Several locked wooden doors lined either side of this corridor, each one with its own guard standing silently outside. Shining observed the numbers on these doors. A silver one, then two, three, four and five...then six.

With a gulp he stopped at six, where not one, but four heavily armed ponies stood at either side. They carried sharpened swords on the belts of their thick black armor. On their shoulders were emblazoned orange suns, the seal of the Special Celestial Guardspony. An elite group, and rightfully so; there wasn't one pony - in the guard or otherwise - that would dare taunt them.

“How is she?” he asked the closest one to the door.

The white mare stepped up, stone-faced and glossy eyes. “Fine sir. Four unicorns have her sedated.”

“Locked?” He nodded to the door.

“Yes sir. I’ll get the key.” She whipped out an iron key ring from her armor belt. It held but one key, which she stuck in the tiny keyhole on the side. The lock rattled and clicked, before the door slowly slid open.

In the room was a but a lone table surrounded by two dying torches, upon which a large black alicorn was strapped down with iron bands. At each side was a cloaked unicorn, still and silent as statues, their faces darkened by the shadows. All four were beamed Nightmare Moon with a concentrated deep blue haze.

When Shining Armor was completely in the room, the door quietly shut behind him, the familiar sounds of a latch lock echoing through the room. He ignored it, slowly approaching the silent prisoner. Her astral mane flowed off the table as though there was a breeze rolling in the wind. Her chest slowly expanded and deflated, and her eyes were lightly shut. The stallion snarled at the sight; just the fact that she was alive lit a fire in his eyes.

Leaning close, he examined a pale line the ran down her chest. Right in the lung, he thought. A grin spanned his lips as he continuously traced the scar with his gaze. The cold, still air made him shiver, but his grin did not waver. He saw this scar with pride; it was the blow that brought her down, after all. And that it was only two days ago made it that much sweeter.

The door behind him curved open, the same black-armored mare poking her head in. With her strong, flat expression, she said, “Sir, I apologize for the interruption, but General Dawn requests your audience.”

Shining whipped his head around, a scowl on his face. It gave way, however, to a slight frown that was accompanied by a sigh. “Of course. Tell her I’ll meet her as soon as I can.”

The mare nodded forcibly as she eased the door shut. Shining Armor turned his attention to the four unicorn mares around him; they were unaffected by the recent noise, solemnly shooting their dull haze onto Nightmare Moon.

His frown tugged harder at his lips as he examined the alicorn once more. This was o hard scowl, and no grimace either; this frown was soft, dragging his whole face down into a droopy, somber expression that was emphasized by the wavering light. His victory tasted sweet on his tongue - he had, after all, taken down the biggest enemy to Equestria in recent history. Yet it reigned bitter, a metallic taste accumulating in the back of his mouth.

His eyes scanned the shadowy alicorn for answers, but found nothing.

~~~

It had been an hour or so. Shining Armor, now donned in his shimmering regalia, stood atop one of the many towers that stood high above the military district of the castle. Beneath him was the chaos that refused to die - blocks of marching guards, the constant screeching of steel on the grindstone, and cart after cart of supplies being wheeled in only made up part of the constant noise.

By his side was the general. She sported no gear now, letting her black coat and brilliant white mane blow east in the midnight breeze. Her short mane glowed in the moonlight, though her face, had it not been for the lonely candle perched between them on the balcony railing, would have been lost in the darkness, giving her an almost ghostly appearance.

Shining’s gaze was not on her, however; it was on the large crater in the wall, surrounded by wooden scaffolding and crawling with masons. He did not know what hit it with enough force to crumble an entire section, but he was pretty confident that it hadn’t made it much farther.

“What did you tell her?” Dawn asked as she too stared beyond the guard swamped hole.

“I said that the city wasn’t too bad, and the castle was fine,” he replied. Squinting, he observed the city outside the wall. At least half of it was ashen, now a cinder grey under the pale moonlight. The stench of decay filled the air, even from afar, making him wrinkle his nose and shiver.

“She’s gonna blow a fuse,” the general casually said, looking over to the once-great meeting hall. The huge tower - which she had been in but a few days ago, arguing over Manehattan - was missing it’s upper half. It had collapsed, crushing a good chunk of the barracks behind it.

“I wouldn’t be surprised. She needs to lighten up. You know, before this whole chancellor ordeal, she was really quite nice-”

“Commander, I understand that you may have...feelings right now. But please note that we are not companions. We have important matters that need to be discussed.” The mare tossed him a look of dead seriousness.

He sighed, hung his head and said, “I know.”

“Good. Let’s get started then.”

“Alright. How many did we lose? I’ve been busy for the past few days just getting the guards back in order. I’ve had no way of getting any kind of information.”

The general looked down to the scrambling troops below as they plod through the mud. “A good bit. We’re still counting the dead and wounded now. One thing’s for sure though - the infirmaries are having a hell of a time.”

“I’d imagine,” he said. “Good thing they cowered and ran once we dragged her out, huh?”

“Hmph. It wouldn’t have made a difference,” Dawn said.

“Every life counts,” he said in a warning tone, tilting his head and darting his eyes.

“I know. All I’m saying is that either way, we would’ve been fine. That little coupe was nothing but a bunch of rag tag traitors who were poorly trained and thought cardboard counted as armor.” She sneered, locking her deep blue eyes with Shining’s.

“Right... where did they even come from? They seemed organized at least. That means there was some sort of planning involved in this. Even we couldn’t take a few mares and stallions off the street and form them up like that.”

“We aren’t sure. Our top scouts are already scanning key areas such as Ghastly Gorge and some major cities. We already have orders in place to execute all traitors on the spot-”

“No. Who gave you that order?” Shining asked. His tone was harsh, condemning, overwhelming.

“The Sparkle Mandate, sir.”

He thought for a second, before spitting out below. “Damn that document to Tartarus. Look, new orders. I want every traitor you find to be put into custody at the authority of the chancellor.”

“And where will we put them?”

“You let me deal with that.”

Dawn’s eyes narrowed. “What about Chancellor Sparkle? You’re outright denying the sole document she put in place herself, for situations such as this. I wasn’t always General Dawn, you know,” she said. “There used to be a General Strongmane. Used to be.”

“I’m her brother. I have no doubt in my mind that I can talk some sense into her. She’s keeping Nightmare Moon alive, after all. If that can work to our advantage, I don’t see why this can’t.”

“Nightmare Moon is the sole pony who knows where Celestia is. Once we’ve found the princess, we’re probably tossing her plot on a guillotine. Good riddance, too,” she scoffed.

“I’m not so sure.”

“Well it’s not our problem yet, is it? When it becomes our problem, we’ll deal with it. For now, this is our problem,” Dawn said, waving her hoof out to the smoldering city in their fore.

“Right...Actually, you are right. We’ve got half of a city and two thirds of a castle to deal with. How many ponies were killed in the town?” His eyes scanned the area. Nightmare Moon’s battalion had cut straight through the center of the city, leaving behind a barren, ash coated scar in their wake that ended abruptly at the shattered wall.

“Enough,” the mare scoffed. “But that’s not what I meant either. The town is the Chancellors problem. She and the royal coffers can deal with it. I was talking about what caused it all. Our problem, Shining, is Nightmare Moon’s clown raiders. They’re still out there, even if she isn’t.”

He thought for a second, looking up to the moon, then out beyond the castle walls. In the distance, the tiny town of Ponyville sat tucked between the rolling mountainside hills. It’s few lights made it a beacon in the ever expansive darkness - a beacon for his squinting, observant gaze. “How many able body troops do we have to spare?”

“What do you mean ‘to spare’?” Dawn gave him a wary look, tilting her head now.

“I just need a few - thirty or so. I want them relocated to Ponyville, fully armored.”

“Why? Ponyville’s a ragtag town of backwater-”

“Sir!” A voice shot out from behind them. It sounded tired and heavy, like that of a pony who just came back from a jog. Shining and Dawn both spun around with alert looks. “Sir, we found Trixie,” the guard panted.

“Where is she?” Shining asked, a relieved sigh flushing out of his lungs. The thought of another attack so soon wasn’t enticing.

“We took her to the infirmary. You better take a look.”

He then spun and galloped off to his duties. “Vigilant,” Shining grumbled. Turning back to the general he said, “I’m serious about Ponyville. That place doesn’t have enough guards anyways. I, uh, ought to go see what this is about.”

“Fine. I’m sure I’ll find somepony who isn’t dead or dying around here.”

~~~

“Not one?” Rarity asked. Her pale face was alight with but a mere candle that sat at the center of the table, one of the few that still sat scattered around the dusty room.

Pinkameana sighed, lowering her eyes and shaking her head. All around her the decadence of her plight was seeping through the air. With each creak of the rotting floor, with each cobweb that blew on by, and with each ghostly passerby in the dirt-fogged windows, her frown became more firm upon her face.

"Not since the Cakes moved out..." she said, her voice fading into the darkness.

"I'm sorry," Rarity said morosely. "Don't worry though, this place will be booming soon enough!"

"I hope...how do you think things went?"

“Oh don’t worry about it dear, we’ll hear back from her eventually. And when it’s all over, Sugarcube Corner will be the piece de resistance of Ponyville once more,” the unicorn said with a gentle smile.

The party pony turned around to see the empty sweets stand, its glass stained with grime and its counter old and dirty. “I hope so.”

“I know so dear. She’s probably gotten the whole situation under control by now. We just need to give her some time, that’s all.” She leaned in and rested her hoof on her friend’s shoulder. But when there was still no sign of happiness in those bland, sunken in cyan eyes, she reclined back with a sigh. “Have you heard back from Applejack yet?”

“Not yet,” Pinkameana said. “What about Rainbow?”

“I heard from her the other day, actually,” Rarity said with a start. Her tone became that of her usual gossiping self, a smile and wide eyes to accompany it. “She tells me Fluttershy’s on board too. I have no idea how she talked some sense into that shy little mare, but I shan’t argue either way.”

“That’s good,” the pink, flat maned pony said with a forced smile.

“Oh indeed it is. And once we hear back from Empress Moon - that’s still an awful name, in my opinion - but anyways, when we hear back from her, things will finally be better, at least by a little bit.”

“Are you sure we should be with her? Don’t you feel at least a little guilty for turning our backs on Twilight?”

“I do, a bit,” Rarity admitted with a sigh. She turned to face the window, following the ponies as they carried on their nightly business. They were ghosts of their former selfs - each seemed to have lost that little spark that resided in them not so long ago. Now, it was a miracle to see a couple - lesbian, gay, or straight - sitting together. It was a miracle to even see a pony smile.

“Did you hear, though?” the fashionista continued, “Mayor Mare has been placed under arrest. It may be old news, but it still serves to prove my point well I think. Twilight has gone too far. And Nightmare Moon’s plans seem so much more...well, better for a lack of a better word. Things will be better, I promise.”

Shallows and Shadows

Twilight examined the blankness before her. There was a coldness about the place that seemed to swirl indifferently to time or matter. She stood to her hooves, all four planted firmly on the black platform of nothing that she stood upon. Her mane blew with this soft, swirling air, lashing it’s tiny strands into her eyes. Not that it mattered, though; there was nothing to see but the darkness before her. And yet, it seemed that she could still see, as though her eyes registered the nothing as something.

She shook her head and snorted at the strange sensation. Everything about the place sent chills crawling up her spine. “Hello?” she called out in a dry voice. “Is anypony out there? I, as your chancellor, command you to speak!”

“As if it would help,” a calm, sweet voice said, followed by a light sigh. A pair of sky blue orbs appeared directly above Twilight, staring down at her with a soul-piercing draconic gaze. “Your ignorance never fails to amuse me.”

“Ah. I’ve made sense of this pretty quick,” the unicorn grumbled, rolling her eyes.

“Good to hear,” the voice hissed. The words echoed around the void like a cavern.

“Shouldn’t you be in a cage?”

“Shouldn’t you be dead!” Nightmare Moon made a spitting sound, though her eyes remained the only thing visible about her.

Twilight forced a chuckle. “Dead? Nah, I’m fine. I don’t think the same can be said for you though.”

“Shut it you maggot!”

“I don’t have to! I’m the chancellor! I’m the head of Equestria! I’m the pony who holds your sorry flank in her hooves, so you might want to think twice before lashing out at me,” she sneered.

“Oh, I’m the chancellor!” the alicorn mocked. “I’m the head of Equestria! One day you won't even have a head, mark my words.”

“Are you proposing a race?” Twilight scoffed, turning her back to the eyes.

“Hear me chancellor Sparkle, at the end of this all I’ll have you hanging from a tower.”

“Of course you will - how else am I supposed to get your body down?” she snickered.

There was a silence now that brought a triumphant grin to the unicorn’s face.

But then Nightmare Moon regained her voice. “For one such as yourself, you talk as though you are somepony else. Tell me, what did my sister teach you exactly? Surely it wasn’t love and kindness.”

Twilight froze. “How did you find out about me and Celestia?” she asked, batting a wary eye.

“The same way I burnt you precious little town down. Do you really think ponies will stay loyal to a tyrant?”

“And you expected them to stay loyal to you?”

“I am no tyrant!” the Nightmare roared. “I came back for what I deserved! You...You are just terrible, did you know that?”

“If being terrible means holding a country together, without a Princess or former training, and while on the brink of war, THEN YES, I’M BUCKING TERRIBLE!” Twilight stomped her hoof down as she snarled at the glowing orbs.

“You weren’t fit to lead. I, on the other hoof, am.”

“Well it sure is too bad you’re stuck in my dungeons, isn’t it,” Twilight said. Her scowl stood strong as ever.

“The day I get out-”

“Will be the last day you live.” The mare sat with a thud, a snarky grin replacing her harsh scowl.

“We shall see.” The ghostly apparitions began to fade in the darkness.

“You and I are having a little chat when I get out of here,” Twilight said, just before they had sunken completely away.

As they faded completely, she muttered, “Bucking psychopath.”

~~~

Her eyes peaked open, allowing the dim candlelight to flood her vision. She shoved the sheets away as her blurry sight began to clear. The sheets beneath her were damp and rank; she had been sweating, and her fur was matted and oily. She snorted at the stench. Forcibly shoving herself up, she turned from the damp patch to her room.

The place was lit with but an insufficient candle, but she could still make out the new shape. Across from her, reclining on Trixie’s cot, a stallion had his eyes trained on her. He wore golden armor and had a deep blue mane, but that was all she could tell.

“Hey,” he said as he stood. “‘Bout time you woke up. I didn’t want to wake you - you needed the sleep.

“Shining? What’s this about?” she asked in a groggy voice.

He stepped into the light, defining his face in the pale orange glow. “A few things, actually. Pretty important too. But, um, first, how’d you sleep. It looked...harsh.”

“I had a nightmare,” Twilight scoffed. “Just tell me what you need, please. I need a bath, and I prefer to not soak up my sweat for longer than I have to.”

“Right, um, well first off, we found Trixie.”

Twilight squinted and scanned her room. “Well where is she?”

“That's the thing. She’s in the psychiatric ward right now...” He bit his lip and tossed his eyes right. “Our guards found her just outside the main entrance to the castle. They say she looked dead, with a...glossy stare, and she was drooling.”

“Then why in Equestria is she in the psych ward?” she asked with a scowl.

“She came to a few hours ago. I was about to send her off for lashing, but...she asked who I was. She asked where she was. Twi, she only know her name.”

With a confused look, the unicorn sighed and said, “I thought she had something to do with Nightmare Moon... I guess it was the other way around then.”

“Do you still want her punished?”

“No, no...I’ll go talk to her later. I do have a request though.”

Shining cocked his head left.

“When you leave, get somepony up here to help me around. I’ve got some places to be...”

“I’ll make sure to tell them. But I’m not finished yet,” he said. He slowly walked to her bedside, leaning on the plump mattress with a wary look. “I’m going to Ponyville for a while.”

“Ponyville?” Twilight’s eyes were alight now - a large contrast to her former scowl. “Why Ponyville?”

“I’m sending a flight of twenty five pegasi there - as well as the wing commander - and I figured I’d go with them.”

“But why? We need you here Shining. We need all the guards here,” she said harshly.

“Twi, think about it. We have so many guards in Manehattan, Trottingham, and Las Pegasus...Where else would be better to set up a rebellion than a little town like Ponyville? And besides, General Dawn has the castle covered. I trust her completely,” he said, puffing his chest out with a smug grin.

Twilight took in a deep breath and looked out her window. The moon, of course, was still high in the sky, beaming down its pale glow. “I’ll trust you now,” she said, turning back. “Shining, I don’t know what you’re really thinking, but I’m going to trust you. Please make something productive of this.”

She cast her eyes down. “I love you, but if this becomes a waste of funds, or if something goes wrong because of your decision to move some of our best troops to nowhere, there’s going to be an outrage, and I can’t hold a bias just because we’re related...”

“I know. But trust me, it’s a good move,” he said with a rather sly smile.

“What about Cadence? Is she coming soon?”

“Actually, she’s staying behind in Manehattan. She insists that they need some kind of royalty there, and after the last incident with Blueblood...”

“Fair enough,” Twilight said. “Go then. Oh, and when you get there, stop by my friend’s houses please.” A genuine smile appeared on her worn face. “And tell them I miss them.”

Shining nodded, returning the smile. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around the odorous unicorn, pulling her close. She returned the gesture with as much grace as she could muster.

But she pulled away and steeled her face once more. “Get going,” she said bluntly, “And don’t forget to send a pony up here.”

~~~

With a sigh, Shining trotted away from the regal towers. The bowels of Canterlot Castle weren’t as cold as the Dungeons; there was actually a warmth in the air. The place was thick and smelled of antique wood, despite it being regularly cleaned. The old walls had been refurbished, and now shiny new torch holders sat in use illuminating the various elaborate tapestries that celebrated the Bureaucratic Work Division with large golden letters.

Ponies in suites, ties, and dresses marched about the place with tight grasped, magic-grasped, and wing clasped stacks of paperwork. The multitude of doors on either side of the central golden carpet were swinging open at random, releasing ponies and sucking more in. These halls never slept, just as politics themselves.

Through the loud chatting and shifting of paper, Shining turned a corner and stepped through a large metal gate that spanned the height of the corridor, into a long, descending hallway that was significantly darker than the Division’s own. Guards lined this hall with their stone faces. The smell of wood was now replaced with a thick steam that smelled of coal.

At the bottom of the ramp-like hall, he was spat out onto a large platform that spanned into darkness on either side. Ahead of him was an abrupt ledge with a painted yellow warning line. Just on the other side of that was a wall that arched up to meet the rest of the ceiling.

Leaning on the support columns of the tunnel was a group of pegasi, all clad in golden armor. They were busy idly talking amongst themselves, oblivious to the world around them. One, however, was standing tall and alert.

This orange pegasus stepped forward, her helmet tucked away beneath her wind to show her fallen golden mane. “Wing commander Spitfire, sir.”

Now, the group of pegasi were up and at attention with forced alert gazes.

“Oh give it a rest, I’m not in the mood,” he said with a sigh. He walked past their line and reclined on the column, rubbing his temples roughly.

“Is everything alright sir?” Spitfire asked as she joined him.

“When is anything alright?” he chuckled.

“Never I suppose. If it helps, my pegasus crew is ready and willing.”

Shining didn’t directly respond, only nodding his head and rubbing his eyes. After a bit of silence, a deep rumbling echoed out from the tunnel behind them.

“Train’s almost here sir. We ought to get ready. But if you don’t mind me asking,” she said as she stood, “Why are we using the direct line?”

Shining too stood and gave her a soft, yet stern stare. “The Sparkle Mandate went into effect two days ago. Didn’t you read it? It was sent to all the higher ranking ponies.”

“No sir, I didn’t receive a copy. In fact, all I know of the Mandate is that it exists.”

He sighed. “Of course. The Mandate shuts down all normal lines and forces this to be the only intercity travel in Equestria.”

“Equestria? Really?”

With a nod, he continued, “Fear of Nightmare Moon and her followers.”

“Well I guess it makes sense...” Spitfire took her place at the yellow line. The rest of the guards stood beside her, and soon enough, a dim light flickered from the darkness. The rumbling grew louder, and the platform began to shake.

“Why are we going to Ponyville anyways?” she asked over the loud grumbling of the train.

All Shining said was, “To have a look around.”

The train rolled in, it’s gears creaking under it’s massive weight. The dim lights whizzed past them in a maelstrom. Their manes whipped back and their eyes clenched tight as the large thing came to a screeching halt.

A huge car with multiple windows spanning it’s sides stopped in front of them. Two large doors flew ajar, exposing two bulky guard stallions. Light flooded the dim room with a vision of green carpets and walls, rows of beds and set tables that already held food.

Without further words, the pegasi marched aboard, followed by Spitfire and Shining, all of their mouths salivating at the promise of a meal. He nodded to the two guards, who then slammed the steel doors shut and latched them into place. The train jerked off from the station with a plume of smoke and fled into the vast, never ending darkness before it.

~~~

A tan mare gripped her foreleg around Twilight, helping her stumble down the castle halls. They made their way into the main foyer, hobbling down a set of stares and then to the left. A trail of dripping water followed them, Twilight still steaming from her bath. The little plops echoed behind her as she and the servant mare came upon a new hall, long and expansive with a red carpet lining its center.

“There,” she said, pointing to a door on the far end. “Take me there.”

“To the infirmary?”

“Yes you... yes. To the infirmary, please,” Twilight said, biting her tongue. Her face scrunched up, and she even had to turn away from the mare to prevent a lashing out. This was the mare who was helping her, after all.

“Of course,” she responded as she began guiding Twilight down the hall.

She threw the door open with her magic, exposing a bleach white hallway. It was a drastic shift from the castle itself, but the newest additions always seemed that way. The walls were dim, yet blinding; the torchlights were bright and dull at the same time. It wrecked havoc on her eyes, forcing her to stare only directly in front of her. The marble floors and walls didn’t help, either, doing their best to reflect the light.

In this hallway, stallions and mares alike flew about, rushing into one room and out of the next and filling the hall with a thick clopping. They all wore blue scrubs, some bloodied, others dirty, and a few with an unrecognizable yellow gunk on them. She and the mare made their way through this chaos, nodding to every doctor, nurse and guard Twilight could.

It was chaos. Medical stretchers lined the hall, some empty, some bloody, some with a pony it their clutches. IV stands stood unattended, and equipment lay sprawled out around the various tables.

“Stop, stop,” she told her helper. The mare did as she was told, coming to a jerking halt and gripping Twilight for the unicorn’s own stability. Twilight turned and pointed a hoof to one of the many rushing doctors, calling him over.

“Um, yes chancellor?” he said. His tone was antsy, and his eyes were jumping left and right.

“Why is this place so...packed. I was told that this was under control.”

“Right, well, um, the city hospital was in the line of destruction, so not only are we dealing with the guards, but also the ponies from the Canterlot. And we’re very busy, so-”

“I was told the city was fine too.” She sneered and gave a cold glance to the orange stallion.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, tossing his unkempt blonde mane aside. “Well, um, a-as far as I know, at least half of its gone. I-I can’t tell you for sure though. I’ve been in here for the past two days, no sleep, hardly any food-”

“I’m sure,” she growled. “Go then, I see you’re busy.”

The doctor nodded furiously and galloped off past her.

“Let’s go,” she said to her right. The tan mare gulped and began walking, guiding Twilight further into the panicking hallway.

“Chancellor?” she asked.

Twilight gave her an acknowledging glare.

“H-How long will you take?” Not to be rude, o-or anything! I-It’s j-just...my brother, he’s in the guard you see...”

They paused for a brief moment, before starting off again. Just before them was a four way intersection in the hall. It resembled a road more than anything, considering how bustling it was.

“Not long,” she sighed. “Right here, go left.”

Turning the corner, they found themselves under a hanging sign that pointed to the psyche ward. Without words they began down this new hallway. It smelled of mop fluid and bleach, and was slightly less active than the one before. Ponies here were slower, with more relaxed expressions, save the rare one who was rushing through to reach the emergency wing.

“Where to?” the servant asked.

“Deeper in,” was all Twilight said in response. And so deeper they went, into the long hallway. At the end there was a door surrounded by at least three inattentive guards, though she had to squint to tell. I’ll have to get somepony on this lighting.

When they had reached the door, it suddenly burst ajar, a suave tan colt striding out. He was dressed in a long white coat, his dark brown mane slick with gel. On his coat was a patch that read Dr. Whooves, PhD.

“Doctor,” Twilight announced as she approached. As she neared, the guard split and the colt stepped forward.

“Chancellor. I can only imagine you’re here for Trixie.”

“You. Are. A genius,” she said with a scowl. I cannot put up with Whooves now...So help me Celestia, wherever you are, I’ll kill this colt.

“I know, thank you very much. The smartest around, I dare say.”

“You best not say anything than what I need to hear,” the unicorn said. She pressed more of her weight on the poor little mare beside her, her tan face scrunching up in strain.

“There’s a lot of things you need to hear, chancellor. But if it’s Trixie you want, then fine,” he said with a smug grin. Twilight bit her lip. Dungeon? Guillotine? Gallows? Volcano? Yes, definitely volcano. “She’s fine,” he eventually said. The guards had a tenseness about them, their muscles obviously stiffened and their eyes alert, shifting from Twilight to the doctor. “A bit of amnesia, but nothing major. At least, that’s how it looks. There’s no real way to tell. If only we were all so lucky.”

“Yes, forgetting you would be a real treat, wouldn’t it?” the unicorn said, a grin of her own flashing across her lips.

“I wish - looking at my own face as though it were new every day would be delightful. And yet, to see you every day as though it were the first time...” He pretended to shudder.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be, doctor?” she asked, tossing her head away.

“I do as a matter of fact!” he said with a large smile. Trotting past, and then away from Twilight and the guards, he added, “Away from you.”

“And good riddance,” she said, shaking her head and turning back around.

A guard stepped forward. “Ma’am, do you want us to...do something?”

“No, no. Here, take her,” she said, bumping the mare away. “She said her brother’s in the guard. I can only assume he’s in here. I want you - only you, not you two - to take her and find this colt.”

“Yes ma’am,” the guard said, standing next to the mare. The tan pony seemed dumbfounded for a moment, then smiled, about to say something when the guard cut her off. “C’mon, let’s go.” With that, they trotted away, Twilight watching, her face hard and emotionless.

This left Twilight to limp into the door. She looked to the guards with that flat, cold stare. “Stay here,” she said as she entered Trixie’s room, “and if our doctor comes back, toss him in a guard box and fire his plot to the dungeons, won’t you? Or a volcano, if we have one available.”

She didn’t wait for a response; the door was engulfed in a orchid light, tugging it closed with a thud. Spinning around, she examined this new room. It was average - well lit, for sure. Four torches set the rather cozy place aglow, shimmering off of the few tables and equipment. The only place excluded from their shine, oddly enough, was the medical bed in the corner.

Sprawled in this bed, tucked under the white sheets, was a blue unicorn who’s slow breaths and shut eyes marked her deep sleep. An IV tube ran from the sac beside her, under the covers and into her arm. Twilight approached, examining the mare for any injuries. She seems fine...

She propped herself up to Trixie’s side, leaning in to hear her soft, deep breathing. It was even, smooth, and she showed no signs of distress. Amnesia? I wonder if...

Getting even closer, she examined the slumbering mare’s face. Nothing out of the ordinary; still sweet, calm, and pompous as ever. Closer and closer she got, until she was in the unicorn’s face. Now she could feel the warm breaths as they huffed forth, and could almost taste her fur.

It was quick, with neither passion nor fury. Their lips met, Twilight barely prodding her tongue into Trixie’s warm mouth. Her eyes lapsed shut, her muscles tensed; she needed this. She held for a second or two, then yanked back up, sucking in deeply. For such an unnerving time, that had actually been sweet on her mouth. She could feel a tiny wave of heat wash up her cheeks. A smile began to tug at the corner of her mouth, and her heart skipped a beat. Her hoof raised, her smile grew...

Wham!

She brought her hoof down hard upon the unicorn’s head, knocking her from her sleep with a jerk. Her face hardened once more as Trixie howled and pressed against her temples.

“W-What the hay? What was that for?”

“Oh shut it Trixie. Where were you?”

“Trix- what? Who are you? Trixie does not even know you! Where do you get off knocking her upside the head for nothing? She is in a hospital for Celestia’s sake!” the unicorn stammered.

“I asked where you were, Trixie! Don’t give me...wait...” Twilight squinted. She scrunched her face to Trixie’s. Their eyes locked, Trixie’s wide with discomfort and Twilight’s thin with angst. “What happened to your eyes?”

“Trixie’s eyes? What of them?” The mare sneered, turning away.

Now Twilight backed off, taking in a deep breath and sighing it out. “You really don’t remember anything... Nothing’s ever simple, is it? Umm...Ponyville. Last year. Ursa Minor. Riot. Death threats. Me coming in to save your sorry plot. Anything ringing a bell?”

She thought for a moment. Turning back to Twilight, she said, “Trixie knows nothing of the sort. If you are insisting that she has committed a crime-”

“No. Just...stop,” the lavender mare said, pressing a hoof to her face. She dragged it down, her eyes falling once more to the set in front of her. These new eyes glimmered in the light like a rare metal, with a deepness in them, one that almost radiated secrets and lies. An uncomfortable feeling washed over her. She shook her head, trying to shake it out.

Then, a wave of agony rippled through her mind. Gasping, she stumbled left, slamming on the tile wall. “I-I...I feel sick...”

Trixie, with a dumbfound look and uneasy gaze, extended her hoof. Twilight anxiously grabbed it, yanking herself back up to her three good hooves. A bang from behind her ripped through the room just as she was stable, sending her down to her right. She slammed on the floor, a cry of pain escaping her lips.

The two guards rushed in, pushing her back to her hooves. One at each side, they compressed her into forced stability, sending deathly glares to the bed-ridden mare. Trixie sunk into her bed, biting her lip.

“She’s fine,” Twilight coughed. “I’m not, though. Take me to my room,” she said to the guard at her right. “And you - you go find General Dawn. I want her there now.”

The stallion to her left nodded, spun, and galloped off with haste. The guard at her side helped her turn to the door, and together they began hobbling off. Yet, just as she was about to exit the room, she turned back around one last time.

In the bed, Trixie was staring with wide eyes and shaky hooves. Twilight squinted, focusing on her, reading her. It was her eyes. They were wrong - sickeningly wrong.

They were gold.